


Splinters

by CoralFlowerDaylight (CoralFlower)



Series: Ghostfire oneshots during House of Hades [1]
Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Other, dezangelo, ghostfire, leco - Freeform, leico - Freeform, splinters, valdangelo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2013-10-26
Packaged: 2017-12-30 13:31:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoralFlower/pseuds/CoralFlowerDaylight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While Hazel is off meeting with Hecate, Leo helps Nico get the splinters out of his arm</p>
            </blockquote>





	Splinters

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first in what will be a series of three ghostfire oneshots that I think could (and should) have happened during House of Hades. This one is just supposed to have happened while Hazel was off the Argo II, but the next two will likely replace parts of the book.

“Wait for how long?” Nico asked. “What if you don’t come back?”  
“Don’t worry, I will,” she promised, hoping it was true.  
As she galloped off into the distance, Nico continued picking splinters out of his arm. Leo noticed what he was doing, and dropped the ship’s metaphorical anchor, called such because, while it anchored them in place, it was actually just magic tethering the ship to the ground. He said,  
“I can help you with that.”  
“What?”  
“I can help with that.”  
“Would help involve burning the splinters still buried in my arm and causing me extreme pain and discomfort?”  
“No, I just have a way with inflammable materials.”  
“Ummm, since when?”  
“I discovered it a while ago.” Leo gestured for him to follow, and dragged two crates together. Leo sat on one and patted the other. Nico sat. When Leo touched his wrist to reposition his arm, Nico flinched, then said,  
“I don’t enjoy being touched.”  
“Sorry,” Leo said. Nico sighed. Leo asked, “Ummm, well, could I touch your arm to move it, right now there isn’t enough light on it.”  
“I guess.” Leo gently took hold of Nico’s arm and slowly moved it so that it was in the light falling between them. Nico watched as Leo closed his eyes and bit his lip. He almost wanted to lean over and kiss him, but he felt a strange sensation near his wrist, and looked down to see a splinter slowly forcing itself out of his skin. When it was out, a tendril of smoke came from where it was as it slowly smoldered into nothing. The process continued. When it was done, Nico said, “Thanks.”  
“No problem.” They sat there for a while, each lost in their own separate thoughts. Nico sighed, and leaned a little closer to Leo, so that their shoulders were touching. Leo said, “I thought you didn’t enjoy being touched.”  
“ ‘m tired”  
“Ooooookaaay, then…” Nico yawned, closed his eyes, and put his head on Leo’s shoulder.

Leo was confused. First, Nico, the practically invisible boy, had accepted help. Then he had said he didn’t enjoy being touched, but later he lays his head on Leo’s shoulder, because he’s tired. Even though Nico had a very specific internal clock and slept like the dead for 3 hours out of every 27. Even though he was usually completely alert during those other 24. Nico exhaled, and Leo felt the puff of air on his arm. He looked down at Nico, and watched him breathe. He was kind of cute when he slept. The bitter expression that was on his face when he was awake was gone, and had been replaced with a calm and content expression. Nico snuggled farther into Leo. Leo was having trouble controlling the impulse to lean down and kiss Nico full on the lips. Finally, he gave up and bent his head down towards Nico’s. When their lips met, Nico’s eyes flew open.

Nico awoke to pressure on his lips. His eyes flew open, and he saw Leo, whose eyes were half open and slowly closing. Nico was about to close his eyes and kiss him back, but Leo sat up abruptly.  
“Oh, I- I-- ” Nico leant up towards him. Leo looked confused for a second, then their lips met for a second time and his eyes closed.

Leo was in heaven. As he kissed Nico, he noticed how Nico was wrapping his arms around him. He tentatively curled his arm around Nico’s back, and Nico leaned in closer with a moan. Suddenly, something on the ship started beeping. Nico hugged Leo tighter, and both were ready to ignore the beeping noise, but then the ship suddenly lurched. They fell off the crates. Leo said, “Well… I should go see what that is…”


End file.
